


Myths and Fables

by Avalooon



Category: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Genre: F/F, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29876727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avalooon/pseuds/Avalooon
Summary: Various Rayaari drabbles that I had to expel from my mind with a focus on worldbuilding because Kumandra is interesting and has lots of fun stuff to explore. They aren't connected and are all just about different things I think it could be neat to incorporate into larger stuff
Relationships: Namaari/Raya (Disney)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 42





	Myths and Fables

500 years ago the great dragon Sisudatu banished the Druun with the power of the dragon gem. Contrary to the hope of many, and perhaps the dragons themselves, humanity did not come together in the aftermath of such an event. Wars raged more than ever, the tribes withdrew further into themselves and grudges grew. This loss of trust was not universal, throughout all the tribes, all the people of Kumandra, a view remained steadfast in their trust of others and more importantly the dragons. They formed together, enshrining rites and services to praise the dragons in their sacrifice and bind the disparate people as one.

The writings of these early sages envision a world unified as one, honoring the dragons and their sacrifice by remaining unified. Their vision did not come to pass. As time crawled forwards their traditions were ground away by fear and conflict. Those who remembered them grew less and less, and their words and ideas less respected. Knowledge does not die so easily though, and through every generation their rituals were held onto. Passed down through families, traded over the campfires of travellers who had strayed from their tribe, written in tomes and inscribed onto ornaments. 

~~5 Years after the dragon gem shattered~~ 

Raya crunched through the crisp snow under the light of a full moon, Tuk Tuk had been left behind at the campsite, he was lovely but for a ceremony of this importance she felt a need for solemnity in which Tuk Tuk was decidedly lacking. She crested a ridge and emerged from a thicket of the tall dark bamboo which clearly marked these lands as Spine. It didn’t matter, the only people who’d venture out here would understand that there were things before which tribes were irrelevant. The view that greeted her now was one of them. At the center of a small valley was an ornate statue that depicted the creation of the dragon gem by Sisudatu. One of the ten shrines erected by Sage Minamo long ago in memory of the dragons. She carefully picked her way down the valley slope and towards the shrine. As she did the sounds of footsteps informed her that someone else was present. It was always a rare surprise to meet another follower of the Sages, there were few enough left, let alone those devoted enough to tramp out to remote shrines under the full moon.

The figure emerged from tightly pressed bamboo stocks and approached Raya. They brought their hands together in front of their head, greeting the spirit of the dragons as much as each other. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Raya.” Though Raya smiled she held out no hand to be clasped nor let go of her grip on her sword, faith in the dragons was one thing, stupidity was another. The figure had stopped several feet away and now shook off her hood to reveal, “Namaari.” Raya glared daggers at her.

Namaari returned her gaze with cool indifference. “Raya.”

“You have no right to be here, you know that right.”

“Oh really dep la, and why’s that?”

“This place, we, I come here to honor the dragons, everything they did to try and bring peace. Someone like you, someone who broke their last legacy dishonors everything this ritual stands for by your mere presence.”

“I do, do I? And what will you do about it, draw your weapon and make me leave? Oh wait, you can’t ‘let no blade be bared save in self defense’ isn’t that right?” Namaari was taunting her, a smug smile pulling on the corner of her lips.

Raya bit back the rage building inside her, she was here for things more important than Namaari. “Why are you even here, if you’re going to defile a shrine with your presence, why not stay in Fang, were you missing my presence that much?”

Namaari scoffed at that, letting out a harsh cold laugh. “I could ask you the same question, and you know I’m not particularly inclined to answer and I doubt you are either. So, we can either continue this charming conversation and freeze ourselves to death. Or we can do what we came here for, and both be on our way. What’ll it be?” 

“Fine, you don’t bother me and I won’t bother you. I can work with that.” 

“So glad we could come to this arrangement.” Raya turned and stalked away from Namaari, stopping at the base of the statue. She pulled the items from her bag inspecting each in turn to ensure it was undamaged, the mat, the cup, twin candle holders, and the pendant. Glancing up she saw Namaari also preparing, she shoved the pendant back into her bag angrily and retrieved a replacement from deeper within, it was scuffed from age and neglect but it was preferable. She arranged the elements swiftly with well practiced hands. 

As Raya poured water over the pendant and into the cup she began her chant and heard Namaari start at the same time. In the silent night their words were the only sound, mixing together as if they had been intended to, rising high above the valley with a life of their own. Raya hated that Namaari was intruding on the ritual, but it would have been worse to stop, so she continued matching her voice with that of her enemy. When the chant, and thus the ritual, concluded they packed their things in silence and left the clearing, venturing back to the world and it’s demands.

~~ 1 year after the return of dragons ~~

Raya sat before the shrine and waited. She had arrived at this shrine at the fall of the evening but had yet to even touch the tools, let alone complete the ritual. She did not know what she was waiting for, perhaps she was waiting for herself to realize this was now a useless relic. The dragons had returned at last, more than that the tribes were coming together again, rekindling trust and building new agreements for the future. Everything the Sages had dreamed of had come true, even if not in the way they intended, perhaps there was no longer a point in traditions like these. “I thought I’d find you here.” The voice made Raya jump and she whirled around to see Namaari standing there. “Not like you to be caught off guard Raya, must’ve been lost in thought.” Raya nodded as she made space for Namaari to set beside her. “Are you going to share, or do you plan on keeping it all to yourself?”

“I’ve been thinking about this ritual, about everything left behind by the Sages really. With the dragons back, it feels like something left over and without a use. Well it’s always felt like that somewhat, but more than ever now.” Namaari had settled beside her now and they both gazed up at the dragon shrine.

“Do my ears deceive me, are you questioning the sage's teachings, I’d always thought you never would have given how much you cared about them. Then again, the dragons have come back so I guess crazier things have happened.” Namaari grinned and bumped her shoulder against Raya’s. “To be honest, the rituals of the Sages have always felt weird to me, to talk of and pray for unity in such a broken world. If anything I think the return of the dragons has made them feel more important to me. As far as I’m concerned though the most important thing for me was that the Sages rituals helped me meet you.” She took Raya’s hand and squeezed. “Ready to do the ritual then, dep la.”

Raya smiled back. “Of course, thank you Namaari.” So that’s what she had been waiting for. Raya took her bag and placed it between her and Namaari. They drew out the instruments and prepared them silently. They poured the water down, letting it cascade over the pendant of Sisu that had set so many things in motion. Together they sang the chant, joining voices happily as they prayed for a unity that had come already.

**Author's Note:**

> Raya and Namaari are both 'dragon nerds' what if that extends further to them being parts of a dragon cult (not used in the negative sense) and getting to do rituals and be soft together.


End file.
